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Friday, November 20, 2009

Let's start by recapping what has happened lately as far as football related topics go with me...

New Examiner RoleAs you probably know I have been covering Penn State football for Examiner this season, in addition to Nittany White Out. It has been a fun experience and I am grateful to have met so many people through the new connections. I hope to continue with those working relationships in the future and without that I do not think I could have landed a new role on the Examiner site.

I am not working on a national level for Examiner, covering the entire world of college football. If you wish to help me out or check out what I have to say I encourage you to stop by my new page and subscribe via e-mail or RSS reader of your choice!

Even though the regular season is winding down there are a number of great ideas in the works for the bowl season and off-season! I will continue to share some links to my articles from time to time here.

Football Pool StrugglesI had a particularly bad week in the football pool two weekends ago, scoring the lowest score of the year for people who actually play on a weekly basis. In addition I was knocked out of the suicide pool I was participating in when the Green Bay Packers dropped a game on the road against Tampa Bay. Ugh.

This past weekend I got out to a nice head start on the competition but the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals foiled me. I put big points on the Steelers, who lost, and not enough points on the Cardinals. I would have been in much better shape if the Cardinals had lost, so I was rooting for a wrong pick in that game.

In the process the margin between my running total and my dad continued to grow, which frustrates me immensely.To make matters worse, I am off to a bad start this week, laying eight points on the Carolina Panthers in the Thursday night game, which the Dolphins won. Ouch!

This week I think it is about time to get Stef to make the picks.

Ok, let's fast forward and get back up to date...

Shippensburg vs. CaliforniaThe D2 playoffs enter their second round this weekend and Shippensburg will host their second playoff game this decade. the game will be a rematch of the PSAC's State Game from a couple weeks ago as California returns to the scene of the crime, Seth Grove Stadium. I don't know how to read this game. Rematches are dangerous, and I still remember Ship beating West Chester in the final regular season game of 2004, only to lose two weeks later in the second round of the playoffs in Shippensburg.

Penn State @ Michigan StateSo much riding on this game, and I'm not talking about the clunky Land Grant Trophy. If you have been keeping up with me you know that I think the BCS is a real possibility for Penn State, but I also think Michigan State stuns the Nittany Lions today. Call it a bad gut feeling.

Eagles at BearsWho knows which Eagles team will show up this weekend? Is there another team with the ability to look like Super Bowl contenders one week and look like chumps another like the Eagles do? I still say that Donovan McNabb is a better quarterback than Jay Cutler though and have to think the Bears are done. Who knows.

Time to pick up the pace with my six pack of picks, which has been on a long hiatus!

Michigan State over Penn State

California over ShippensburgTemple over Kent StateGiants over FalconsTexans over TitansEagles over Bears